When performing document management and control utilizing privileges in current document privilege control techniques, the following steps are generally included:
1, setting a privilege for a document;
2, inquiring the privilege set for the document according to a request of a user, determining whether the request should be allowed, if the request should be allowed, performing corresponding operations; otherwise, rejecting the request.
In the above procedure, the following basic privileges can be implemented, including viewing the title, reading and deleting and so on. But this is far from meeting the increasing requirements of users.
In existing document privilege control techniques including techniques for controlling a docbase management system, application software may log in the docbase management system in a certain role. If the role has a reading privilege, the application software can save the document in a hard disk. Then a user logging in using the role not only can read the document but also can perform other operations such as editing and printing on the document. The user is a concept used in the application software, whereas the role is a concept used in the docbase management system. One user may correspond to multiple roles.
In view of the above, when a role obtains a reading privilege, at the same time it also obtains privileges including editing and printing. However, in practical document management, some document may be of great importance, it may be desirable to allow all roles to read the document but not to allow all the roles to perform operations such as making modifications to the document.
With the continuous development of information technologies, a document storage system may store a large number of documents. Various clients may search and view the documents stored in the document storage system via networks. Due to the varieties of clients and users, existing document privilege control technique can no longer adapt to ever emerging new types of documents and meet continuously changing requirements of users. Therefore, there is a need for a privilege control technique which is able to provide functions regarding arrangement, management, security, presence and storage for the large number of documents and provide diversified privilege control.